Microsoft Bringing Windows Defender ATP to Windows 7 and 8.1

Microsoft is taking Windows Defender ATP, its intelligence-driven security analytics and protection service for businesses, to a new level by bringing it to older versions of Windows today. The company is bringing Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection with a new down-level Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) system to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Businesses who are currently migrating to Windows 10 already have access to Windows Defender ATP, but to ensure all of their machines and users are protected from external attacks, they can use Windows Defender ATP on machines running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 starting this Spring with the public preview. The new solution will only be available to businesses that are moving to Windows 10, and not all businesses with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be able to use it.

The new EDR solution built for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will give businesses extensive monitoring tools that will help them protect their systems and network against external attacks, with the ability to respond to potential attacks rapidly. Businesses will be able to access all the reports, analytics, and other data using the cloud-based Windows Defender Security Center dashboard just like they can on Windows 10.

The arrival of Windows Defender ATP on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 is a big deal for a couple of reasons. A good portion of businesses using Windows are either running Windows 7 or are in the process of transitioning to Windows 10, and with the end of support for Windows 7 nearing, Windows Defender ATP will come in handy for large businesses where the migration process tends to be quite lengthy.